Electrical engine control mechanism



E. MARTIN Jan. 17, 1939.

ELECTRICAL ENGINE CONTROL MECHANISM Filed Julyo, 1936 5 sheets-sheet 1 Jan. 17, 1939. E. MARTIN 2,144,429

ELECTRICAL ENGINE CONTROL MECHANISM Filed July 3o, 193sl 3 sheets-sheet 2 Jig/77. 4 E7. 5

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L. 1.waw

A T T ORNEY Jan. 17, 1939. E. MARTIN 2,144,429

ELECTRICAL ENGINE CONTROL MECHANISM Filed July 30, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVEN TOR.

'Er/E Marfil) Maw,

A TTORNE Y Patented Jan. 17, 19u39 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRICAL ENGINE CONTROL MECHANISM Application July 30, v1926, Serial No. 93,530

4 Claims.

'Ihis invention relates to improvements in engine speed controlling means, and has particular application to speed controlling means for use in a power vehicle, such as an airplane.4

6 One of the objects of the invention resides in the provision of manually controllable electrically actuated means for controllingA the speed of a vehicle engine or power plant.

A further object resides in Athe provision of i means of the character specied for providing an accurate and sensitive control of the power plant.

An additional object resides in the provision of speed controlling means of the character specii'led which is light in weight, is simple in construction,'and easy to install and maintain.

An additional object resides in the provision of engine speed controlling means of the character specified whereby the speeds of the various engines of a multi-metered vehicle may be vsynchronized with respect to each other orl to the speed of a master engine.

A more particular-object resides in the provision of electrically operated means for controlling the speed of an engine by controlling the pitch of :i controllable pitch propeller driven by the enne. l

Other objects and advantages will be more particularly pointed out hereinafter or will become apparent as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout, there has been illustrated a suitable mechanical embodiment of whatis now considered to be the preferred form of the idea of the invention. Thedrawings, however, are for the purpose of illustration only and are not to be taken as limiting the invention the scope of which is to be measured entirely by the scope of the appended claims. 1

In the drawinga/ Fig. 1 is a horizontal sectional view through a Aportion of the improved engine speed controlling means, the portion illustrated including a speed governor, a motor, and an operative speed reducing connection between the motor and the gover- 24 may be interposed between the abutment memnor;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line 2-2 o! Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a transverse vsectional view on the line 4--4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of a suitable speed e differencel actuated device for maintaining two engines or power plants in synchronism with each other, a portion being broken away and shown in section to better illustrate the construction thereof;

Fig. 6 is a schematic illustration of the application of the idea of the invention to a multimotored airplane; and

Fig. 7 is a schematic illustration of the application of the idea of the invention for synchronizing the speed of a controlled engine with that of a master engine.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the numeral l0 in Figs. 1 and 2 generally indicates a speed governor of the centrifugally actuated type mounted upon and driven by an engine for controlling the speed of, the engine. There is a separate governor for each engine inthe case of multi-engine vehicles, and the governor may control the speed of the engine by suitable means,

such as by controlling the pitch of a controllable pitch aeronautical propeller, as indicated at I2 in Fig. 6. The particular governor illustrated is arranged to control the pitch of thecontrollable pitch propeller by controlling the supply of hydraulic fluid to the propeller pitch changing mechanism in a manner well known to the art.

As stated above, the governor I0 is of the centrifugal type and is provided with a pair of ilyweights I4 which act under the iniluence of centrifugal force to vary the valve opening controlling the supply of hydraulic fluid to the propeller. The action of these flyweights isV controlled by a coiled compression spring I6 in such manner .that the speed of the engine can be controlled by varying the loading or compression 'upon the speeder spring of the governor.

The lower end of the spring I6 rests upon a movable abutment operatively connected with the yweights Il and with the valve controlling the supply of hydraulic fluid to the propeller. The upper end bears against a movable abutment I8 slidably but non-rotatably mounted in an extension of the governor casing 2U abovethe upper end of the spring. The abutment I8 is cupshaped and provided with internal screw threads 22 and, if desired, a bushing or sleeve member ber and the casing. The valve' stem 26 preferably extends through the closed end of the abutment, and is provided on the side of such closed end opposite the upper end of the spring I6 withx a screw threaded nut 2li which limits movement of the stem with respect to the abutment in one direction. A cup-shaped abutment adjusting member 3D provided with external screw threads is threaded into the cup-shaped abutment member i8 and provided at its upper end with a worm gear 32 whereby the adjusting member may be rotated by a suitable mechanism presently to be described. When the abutment' adjusting member 38 is rotated, the action of the cooperating screw threads upon the interior of the abutment member I8 and the exterior of the adjusting member 38 serves to move the abutment member with respect to the adjustment member in an axial direction, the abutment member, as stated above, being restrained against rotation by the governor casing or the sleeve 24 in which it is slidably mounted. The adjusting member 38 is restrained against axial movement in adirection to relieve the loading on the spring I6 by means of a thrjist bearing 34 disposed between the end of the abutment adjusting member and the adjoining surface of the closed end of the casing extension in which the abutment and the abutment adjusting member are mounted. The abutment adjusting member is preferably journaled upon an axle 36 having an enlarged portion forming a cylindrical bearing within the cylindrical interior of the adjusting member, and a reduced portion received in an aperture extending through the closed end of the casing extension and rigidly retained therein by suitable means, such as the through pin 38.

From this description, it will be observed that rotation of the abutment adjusting member 38 about the axle 36 by means of the Worm gear 32 will serve to vary the loading upon the governor spring I6 by changing the vaxial position of the movable abutment I8 with respect to the axially fixed adjusting member.

'I'he governorv casing is provided with a lateral extension, generally indicated at 48, which forms a hollow receptacle for a reversible electric motor 42. The motor is retained in the enclosure and restrained against rotation by means of the screw threaded end closure member 44, and is provided, within a hollow upward extension 46 of the recep'- tacle 48, with a worm 48 mounted upon the motor shaft for rotation therewith.

VAn externally screw threaded shaft 58, particularly illustrated in Fig. 1, is rotatably mounted in suitable bearings 52 and 54 in the governor casing and is yprovided at one end with a worm gear 56 meshing 'with the worm 48 on the motor shaft and at the other end with a worm 58 meshing with the worm gear 3 2 on the governor spring adjusting member 38 so that rotation of the motor, acting through the worm gear 48, the

Iworm 56, the shaft 58, the worm 58, and the worm gear 32, will impart a rotation to the spring abutment adjusting member 38 at a speed greatly reduced with respect to the speed of the motor. A nut 68 is screw threaded upon the shaft 58 and is slidably but non-rotatably received in a squared channel 62 provided in the governor casing between the'motor andthe governor, as particularly illustrated vin Fig. 3, so that rotation of the shaft 58 by the motor will cause the nut 68 to' slide in the channel axially of the shaft 58. Abutments or stop members 64 and 66 are disposed within the casing in a position to be contacted by the nut 68 as it approaches the respective end of its range of movement in the channel 62, the abutment 64 being disposed upon the side ofthe nut 68 adjacent to the motor, and the abutment v66 being disposed upon the side of the nut 68 'remote from the motor.

The stop or abutment 64 is adjustably threaded upon the end of 'a screw threaded stem 68 which is provided at its end remote from the stop member with a socket 18 which receives the spherical end of a switch toggle lever 12 operatively assor ciated with a limit switch '14. A coiled compression spring 'i6 is interposed between the end of the stem 68 containing the socket 10 and an apertured sleeveV member 18 rigidly secured in the casing by suitable means, such as the through pi'n 88, and through which the stem 68 slidably extends. The limit switch 'I4 is connected into' the circuit supplying current to the motor 42 in such manner that when the switch is closed by contact of the nut 68 wit the abutment 64 the motor will berendered inoperative to rotate the shaft 58 further in the direction which operates to move the nut 68 toward the abutment 64 by applying current to both sides of the field of the reversible motor. The spring 16 serves to open the switch 14 when the nut 68 has been moved away from the abutment 64 by rotation of the) motor in the opposite direction from the direc- .tion operative to bring the nut in Contact with the position of the stop member 64 upon the screw threaded stems 68.

'Ihe abutment 66 is mounted upon a screw threaded stem 82 which is provided at its end remote from the abutment with a socket 84 which receives the spherical end of a cam toggle 86. Actuation of the cam 88 serves to move a clutch member 98 into engagement with a cooperating clutch member 92 secured upon the end of the shaft 58 remote from the motor and beyond the journal bearing 54 from the motor end of the shaft. The clutch member 98 is provided with a socket 94 which receives the spherical end of a switch toggle 96 operatively associated with a limit switch 98 to open and close the switch upon 40 rotation of the clutch member 98.

' The limit switch 98 is a double throw switch connected into the circuit supplying energy to the motor in such a manner that when the switch is closed in one direction the governor will be adjusted toward itshigh speed setting and when 45 the switch is Aclosed in the opposite direction thel motor will be rendered inoperative to rotate the shaft 58 in a direction to move the nut 68 in the direction in which it contacts the abutment 66.

When the nut 68 contacts the 'abutment 66, the 50 stem 82 is moved in a direction to cause the cam 88 to bear against the end of the clutch member 98 and establish a driving connection .between the clutch members 90 and 92, which driving connection serves to rotate lthe clutch member 98 55 and operate the switch toggle 96 .to close the limit switch 98 so that the motor loses its power when the spring abutment adjusting member 38 has been moved to its'limiting position corresponding to the particular direction of rotation of the mo- 60 tor. The limiting position ofthe abutment adjusting member 38 may be determined by the position of the stop member 66 upon the screw threaded stem 82. A coiled compression spring |88 is provided to return the stem 82 to its original 65 position after the nut 68 has been moved away from contact with the stop 66, to operate the cam 88 and release the driving connection between the clutch members 98 and 92. A further spring |82 The two limit switches 14 and 00 are arranged in the circuit in such a manner that current may always be supplied to the motor and so that the motor will be restrained from overrunning the limiting position at either end of the range of adjusting movement. In the embodiment illustrated, the limit switch 98 is used to control the motor at the low pitch or high speed propeller revolution end of the range of adjustment, and the limit switch 14 is used to control the motor at the high pitch or low speed propeller revolution end of the range of adjustment.

A manually operable switch, as indicated schematically at |04 in Fig. 7, is provided' to control the motor circuit so that the motor may be operated at will to the limiting position of the parts in either direction of rotation of the motor, the limit switches 'serving to automatically prevent overrun of the motor past the limiting position at either end of the range of movement of the parts.

As schematically illustrated in Fig. 7, the switch |04 is a double throw switch and is connected at its xed side with a battery |00 which is grounded upon one side, the motor 42 being shown as also grounded upon one side. While a' single wire system having a grounded .side has been shown for the purpose of simplicity in the illustration, it is to be understood that a vtwowire system is within the scope of the invention and might be considered preferable for usein connection with an internal combustion engine. Current from the battery |06 may be supplied from the switch |04 to either of the contacts |08 or ||0 at the will of the operator. If the double throw manual switch |04 is actuated to establish a circuit through the-contact |08 and the adjusting mechanism is at some intermediate point in its range of movement so that the limit switch 98 is closed, the current will flow through the contact the side ||2 of the compound motor eld, and through the motor armature to ground, giving to the motor a rotational direction to change the propeller to a ilatter pitch. and increase therotational speed of the propeller and its driving engine. When the adjusting mechanism is moved to its limiting fiat pitch position, the limit switch 98 is operated thereby to open the contact |00 and close the contact H6. In this condition of the limit switch and with the switch |04 still closed through the contact |00, the current will flow from the contact |00 through the contact ||6 of the switch 08, through the resistance and through the side ||4 oi.' the compound motor eld toA ground through the motor armature. This reversing of the motor'wfleld 'will reverse the direction of rotation of tlifevmotor and cause a movement of :the adjusting-mechanism away from the high speed setting. As soon, however, as the adjusting mechanism is moved away from the limiting high speed position, the limit switch i back and forth within a narrow range of movement of the adjusting mechanism when the adjusting mechanism is at its limiting low pitch or high propeller speed position. The light ||0 is connected into the circuit in vparallel with the resistance ||1 and will be illuminated whenever the limit switch 00 makes contact through the terminal IIB. Consequently the signal lamp will blink whenever the motor is in the continuously reversing condition as described above, incident to the approach of theiadjusting mech- |09 of the limit switch, through.

anism to its limiting high speed position. The blinking signal lamp vwarns the operator that the propeller is in its positive low pitch condition for high speed operation.

Considering now that the adjusting mechanism is at some intermediate point of its range of movement and the manually actuatable double throw switch |04 is operated to establish a circuit through the terminal H0, the current will ilow from the battery |06 through the switch |04, directly to the side ||4 of the compound motor eld through the resistance H9 and to ground through the motor armature. The limit switch 14 being open, the side ||2 of the compound motor eld is not energized and the motor will rotate in al direction to move the adjusting mechanism toward the setting incident to slow operating speed of the propeller. When the adjusting mechanism has been moved to the limiting low operating speed position, the limit switch 14 will be closed thereby and current, in addition to flowing through the side ||4 of the compound motor field, will flow through the resistance and the side ||2 of the compound motor field and to ground through the armature. With this condition of the circuit, the effect of the side ||2 of the motor field opposes the effect of the side ||4 so that the torque of the motor is substantially destroyed and the motor comes to rest as soon after the closing of the limit switch 14 as its momentum is absorbed. When the limit switch 14 is closed, the signal lamp ||8 will be continuously illuminated to warn the operator that the adjusting mechanism is in the limiting slow propeller operating speed condition.

The propeller is provided with limit stops in a manner well known to the art to positively determine the opposite ends ofthe range of pitch changing movement of the propeller blades.

Figs. 5, 6, and '7 illustrate a suitable' combination by means of which the electric engine control may be caused to function to synchronize the speeds of two or more engines when the control is applied to a multi-motored vehicle. As illustrated in Fig. 6, each of the motors may be provided with an alternator, as indicated at |20, |20a, |201), and |20c, although any other mechanism, such as a commutator, for timing current impulses according to engine speed could be employed. Ii alternators are used, they may be single phase or split phase alternators, but are preferably three-phase alternators, as indicated in Fig. 7.v The current cycle of these alternators, generators, or commutators will be in direct proportion to the speed of the respective engines upon which such impulse timing devices are mounted and by which they are driven. One oi' the engines, such as the engine upon which thealternator l 201s mounted, may be designatedl as the master engine, and the other `engines, as designated by the letters a, b, and c, may be caused to conform their speeds to the speed of this master engine. As an illustrative example of the application of the device for the purpose .of synchronization, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the alternator |20 driven by the master engine may be caused to drive a plurality of synchronous motors, ,indicated at |22a, |2217', and |220, there being one such synchronous motor for each of the controlled engines a, b, and

c. Each of the Asynchronous motors is opera- `tively connected with a differential mechanism, generally indicated at |24, and particularly illustrated in Fig. 5. It is to be understood, however,

' mechanism illustrated, but that various other devices operated upon a difference in the speeds of two current impulse timing devices, may be interposed between the devices driven by the master engine and each of the devices driven by the respective controlled engines to regulate the speeds of the controlled engines in conformity with the speed of the master engine.

In the illustrative form of the invention shown and as explained abo-ve, each of the synchronous motors |220., |22b, and |220 drives one side of Va respective differential mechanism |2411., |24b, or |240. ferential mechanisms is driven by a respective synchronous motor |36, indicated in Fig. 6 at |360, |3611, and |360, the motors |36 being driven by the alternators |200, |20b, and |200 driven by the respective controlled engines a, b, and c. Each differential mechanism, as particularly illustrated in Fig. 5, is provided with a pair of beveled gears |26 and |28 rotatably mounted in the casing |30 and facing each other in the interior of the casing. These beveled gears are` |200 will all be timed the same as that of the dynamo |20 driven by the master engine,I and consequently the speeds of the synchronous motors |360, |3612, and |360 will be the same as the speeds of the synchronous motors |220, |22b, and |220, As long as the speeds of the synchronous motors |220 and |360, |22b and |360, and |220 and |360, are the same, the respective differential mechanisms |240, |24b, and 240 will not be actuated, as these mechanisms are dependent for actuation upon a speed difference between the units driving the opposite sides. This result is lobtained by driving the beveled gears |26 and |28 in opposite directions so thatthe pinion gears |34 simply rotate about their own axes without moving the ring |32 as long as the speeds of the gears |26 and |28 are equal and opposite. Upon a variation in the speeds of the driven gears |26,I and |28, the faster rotating gear will cause the pinion gears |34 to creep about the slower moving gear, and will consequently cause a displacement of the ring member |32. The ring member |32 is provided with an.

extension |38 which-A is operatively engaged with the toggle arm |40 of a switch |42, the respective switches for the various controlled engines being indicated at |42a, |4212, and |420 in Fig. 6.

With the arrangement described above and illustrated in Fig. 6, it will be apparent that upon a variation in the speed of a controlled engine, for example, the engine 0,with respect to the reference speed as determined by the master engine, the speed of the synchronous motor |360 will vary with respect to the speed of the synchronous `motor |220 driven by the master engine. This variation in the speeds of the synchronous motors |360 and |220 will actuate the differential mechanism |240 to move the double throw switch |420 in one direction or the other depending upon whether the motor |360 leads or lags with respect tothe motor |220.

Referring now to Fig. 7, wherein the synchronzing arrangement is illustrated as applied to the The opposite side of each of the difmaster motor and one of the controlledmotors such as the motor c, movement of the switch |420 in one direction by the differential mechanism |240 will cause theswitch to close with the contact |44, while movement of the switch |420 inthe opposite direction by the differential mechanism willcause the switch to close with the contact |46. When the switch is closed through the contact |44, the current will flow from the battery |06 through this contact |44, the resistance ||9c and the side ||4c of the governor adjusting motor 420, causing 'a rotation of the governor adjusting motor in a direction to adjust the governor of the engine c to bring the speed of that engine back into synchronism with the speed of the master engine. When the switch |420 is closed in the opposite direction, the cur-- rent will flow from the battery |06 through the contact |46 and the limit switch '|40 to the opposite side ||20 of the compound field of the motor 420, thereby causing the motor to rotate in the opposite direction to adjust the governor of the engine 0 to bring the speed of that engine lback into synchronism with the reference speed of the master engine. If desired, suitable switches may be provided whereby any one of the motors of a multi-motored airplane may be selected as the master motor.

AThe operation of the limit switches and the signal lamp for the propeller adjusting mechanism under the control of the automatic `synchronizer is the same as the operation described above for the adjusting mechanism under manual control. The control of the controlled engines a and b may be obtained in the same manner withv a duplication of the arrangement illustrated for the control of the engine c. l n

A manually operable switch |48 is provided in the line between the battery |06 and the speed diierence actuated switch |42 `of each controlled engine so that the automatic synchronizing control of each one or all of the engines may be discontinued at the will of the operator of the vehicle upon which the engines are mounted. When the switch or switches |48 are opened, the speeds `that means have been provided for rendering the engine of a single engine airplane subject to manual control through a sensitive, simple,

vand light weight electrical control mechanism and whereby the engines of a multi-motored airplane may be rendered subject to manual control in the same manner as the engine of a single motored plane or may alternatively be rendered subject to automatic synchronizing action based upon the speed of an engine selected as the master engine.A

While al particular form of differential mechanism responsive to differences in speed between the master motor and the controlled motor and operatively connected with the speeder'spring of the governor controlling the pitch of the propeller driven by the controlled motor has been illustrated as one operative embodiment of the idea of thevinvention, it is to be understood that otherforms Aof speed difference responsive devices are within the scope of the invention and that the speed difference responsive mechanism may control the propeller in other ways than by 7b 45 of the various engines may be subjected to manthrough the manually operable acting upon the governor speeder spring. With a sensitive speed diierence responsive device, it would be within the scope of the invention to arrange the device to act directly upon the governor speeder spring without the intervention of the reversible electric motor, and it is also within the scope of the invention to arrange the sensitive speed diierence responsive mechanism to directly control the valve regulating the sup'- ply of hydraulic fluid to a hydraulically operated controllable pitch propeller, or a switch controlling the supply of electrical energy to an electrically operated propeller. It is also intended to include within the terms disclosing this invention such other arrangements for regulating engine speed by controlling the pitch of` controllable pitch propellers, as may be directly suggested to a person skilled in the art by this dis- 'losure. t l Y:

While there has been illustrated and described e. suitable practical application oi' the idea of the invention, it is to be understood that the inven-- tion is not limited to the particular construction so illustrated and described but that such changes in the size, shape, and arrangement of parts and in the substitution of equivalent parts may be resorted to as come within the scope of y the appended claims.

Having now described the invention so that others skilled in the art may clearly understand the same, what it is desired to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. Governo; regulating means for -an engine speed controlling governor comprising, a reversible electric motor, a speed reducing drive between said motor and said governor including a shaft driven at a reduced speed by said motor, a limit switch for limiting the adjustment of said governor by said motor, and a motor driven clutch operatively connected between said shaft and said limit switch to operate said limit switch and serve as a brake for said motor.

2. Governor regulating means for an engine speed controlling governor comprising, a reversible electric motor, a speed reducing power transmitting mechanism between said motor and said governor, a switch for controlling the energiza` tion of said motor, and a friction device operatively associated with said mechanism and operative to actuate said switch and act as a brake for said motor.

3. Governor regulating means for an engine speed controlling governor having spring balanced centrifugally acting control means comprising, means for adjusting ,said spring, said means having an operative range of movement, a reversible electric motor, a speed reducing transmission between said motor and said spring adiusting means, adjustable limit stops to determine the operative range of movement of said spring adjusting means, and motor controlling limit switches operatively associated with said limit stops, one of said limit switches being ei'- fective when closed by the associated limit stop to place both sides oi ,the tleld of said reversible motor in circuit with a source of electrical energy.

4. Governor regulating means for an engine speed controlling governor having spring balanced centrifugally acting control means comprising, means for adjusting said spring said .means having an operative range of movement, a

reversible electric motor, a speed reducing transmission between said motor and said spring ad'- justing means, adjustable limit stops to determine the operative range of movement of said spring adjusting means, and motor controlling stop to avoid further adjustmentl of said spring by said motor by changing the continuous rota.- tion of the motor to an oscillatory rotation within a narrow range.

ERLE MARTIN. 

